Love Interest by Clare Gilmore is a workplace enemies-to-lovers rom-com. It follows Casey and Alex who both work at a magazine publisher in Manhattan. I did not know what to expect out of this book but I absolutely loved it! I thought there was great tension, banter, and angst which is essential to me loving a romance book. I also thought the setting was really fun. It has been a while since I read a workplace romance so this was refreshing. If you liked The Hating Game then you would like this but I would say that Love Interest is better. Another thing I loved was the personal growth of the characters because that is always fulfilling to see. Definitely pick this up if you want to read a workplace romance!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a review!

Claire Gilmore makes her writing debut with Love Interest. There is plenty of banter and hilarious come backs between the main characters, Casey & Alex. There are tropes of grumpy x sunshine, opposites attract and enemies to lovers.

The book is set in the FiDi of Manhattan, New York. Alex is a project manager hired to build a digital subsidiary for a print magazine while Casey is the financial analyst that makes all the numbers look pretty.

Casey and Alex get off to a rough start but once they work beyond some misunderstandings they become good friends and eventually more. It his difficult to pinpoint who fell first - both Alex and Casey seem to fall for the other quickly. Of course, Casey’s analytical mind does not like unknown variables and she struggles with allowing her heart to open once again.

Both characters are well suited due to their extreme differences. Also, I found enjoyment seeing the characters help each other in ways they did not really know they needed. Both Alex and Casey have secrets and getting either to open up about themselves and those secrets takes encouragement and love from the other.

While the book is enjoyable, I feel Gilmore could have developed some of the secondary characters more. They very quickly disappear - all the focus being put on Casey & Alex and then their presence is there again. Also, the focus on Alex & Casey is very overwhelming at times. At points Gilmore probably could have condensed some chapters with very similar topics.

Overall, as a debut book it is a solid read!

This was an absolutely adorable and refreshing romance. Definitely got me out of my reading slump. I’m a sucker for a good workplace romance and this really fit the bill. Definitely recommend.

This book is about a woman trying to get the future job she wants but someone else takes it who becomes her enemy but she later begins to fall in love. This story was well written when it came to the plot. I do have to say that when I read books with current slang like OOTD or anything similar, it can be a turnoff as you have to think about some of the words. I do have to say that towards the ending, it started to drag a bit as the author also hit all the main points towards the middle of the book. Though the conflicts were great and I enjoyed seeing how different business departments work. I loved the NYC setting and exploring it through Casey’s pov.

Casey is the FMC who is a finance expert that is looking to become a project manager. I really enjoyed her character but I felt there was a bit of her story that was missing. She did have a great character development and I felt connected with her a bit. Alex is the main side character who is such a cinnamon role and heads over heals for Casey. I of wish we got his perspective because he’s in the summary which made me guess we would have his perspective. There were other side characters in this book but my favorite was Casey’s bff. The romance is co-worker enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and office romance with a small touch of spice.

The ending was okay but the story began to drag. It felt very similar to Twisted Love’s ending which is a HEA. Overall the story was really cute and I did enjoy reading it. I do wish we got more of Casey’s story in this book. Check this out if you love enemies to lovers workplace romance.

*this book was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

This did not feel like a debut--LOVE INTEREST is such a fun, witty read! Casey Maitland finds comfort in numbers, but also feels compelled to seek a more creative career, since she comes from a family of artists, writers, and other creatives. When a project management position opens up at her company, she goes for it, only to be passed over for... the board chairman's son. Who happens to be handsome, charismatic, wealthy, and everything Casey is not. Everyone adores Alex, except for Casey. But when she gets placed on his project in a more financial-based role, she has to admit he has his positives.

LOVE INTEREST is a very corporate book. The plot involves references to P&L, finances, corporate espionage, and Casey and Alex's focus on launching a subsidiary company. If you're not into that, it could be a bit much. For me, I loved having a book actually set in my world. Finally, not a publishing company or a media firm or a bakery, but instead the horrible and stressful world of business that I inhabit every day! It was nice to see someone else's experiences with the horrors of the board, financial statements, and appeasing investors.

But, we all come for the romance, and I'm happy to report that Alex and Casey have plenty of chemistry. This is a classic office enemies to lovers story, and it hits the tropes in a wonderful way. They both have the required baggage--Alex is trying to impress his absent dad and Casey, for some frustrating reason, thinks she should be in a more creative job like her parents. This was the one stretch for me.

The book wanders off on a few tangents, but overall it's really fun with an adorable couple. Looking forward to what Gilmore comes up with next!

This sparkling debut reads like a breath of fresh air!

It goes beyond your typical enemies-to-lovers, workplace romance and dives into important topics like legacy and family and the journey of self-discovery. It's beautifully balanced, alternating between moments of heartbreakingly raw vulnerability and levity. It's steamy and romantic but it's also about friendship and finding your own path.

I devoured all the little details that grounded this story in NYC. Casey's Subway Nemesis made me laugh out loud! Their tiny apartments, their crazy work schedules, it all resonated in a way only real things can.

I loved the diversity. It felt authentic and necessary, not shoehorned in. We saw bits and pieces of Alex's Korean heritage sprinkled throughout in a natural way. And I was so happy whenever Alex discussed his ADHD or Casey battled her anxiety! Things like that are a part of life and I'm so happy art is starting to reflect that.

I'll be talking about this book for a while!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ 5/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3/5

You know that feeling of wanting to beat yourself up when you’ve put a book off for so long and once you decide to pick it up, you hate yourself for putting it off for so long?! YOU GUYS… I felt this from the moment I picked up Love Interest. I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! 🫠

I’m a total sucker for workplace romances, especially when they start off as adversaries and they inevitably can’t keep their hands off each other! Ahh! It just makes me melt! THE TENSION! THE LONGING! It was perfection. This story was filled with chemistry, spice, corporate deception and manipulation, amazing friends turned family, and so much more!

I honestly cannot wait to read what comes next for Clare Gilmore! It’s bound to be just as wonderful!

I need this one on my shelf ASAP!!

Thank you to Clare Gilmore, St. Martin’s Press (@smpromance), and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

TEN STARS!!! Is ten stars a thing??? Can we just double the stars?? Actually let's triple it. Triple the stars! I loved every second of this, could not put it down, would lay down my life for Casey and Alex. I wanted to smoosh their little faces together like my Barbie dolls. Chemistry absolutely searing off the charts. How does Alex make a dorky nickname like Simba kind of hot? Who knows!! Clare Gilmore magic!!

Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Press for the chance to read this charming work place romance.

Casey's love for her job and work family is palpable, so when she is passed over for a promotion for the bosses son... sparks fly. Setting us up for a lovely rom-com.

I love a good enemies-to-lovers rom com. In my experience, there is a lot of great banter and that always leads to laughs. I liked the Casey, but it took me time to soften for Alex. I'm not sure he ever rose to book boyfriend level for me. Part of the book did remind me of "The Hating Game" with a twist - which may be because I'd just watched the movie. I don't know. This was enjoyable, but it wasn't something that I would read a second time.

I love a good workplace romance, and Love Interest is such a good one! The meet-cute is so fun (who doesn't love a good elevator moment), the chemistry is excellent and there's only one bed! A great debut!

I loved this book! I couldn't put it down and couldn't stop smiling.

Clare Gilmore did such an incredible job of bringing Alex and Casey’s characters to life and taking me along on their journey. I felt a range of emotions while reading and felt connected to the characters. This workplace romance had me laughing out loud, swooning and adding a new book boyfriend to the list! The way Alex and Casey shared all the little pieces of themselves it is just so darn perfect!

Things I loved: The Lion King Reference, alley plants the one bed trope, Tide Free and Gentle, the fog reference and the banter. The little references in this book were perfect and helped bring the charachters to life and made them relateable.

My favourite quote was “You finally let yourself come home.”

When Casey is introduced to us, she’s aiming to switch careers from a finance analyst to a project manager because it aligns with her desire to be more creative in her work.

What she doesn’t know is that Alex, the guy she just met in the elevator, was the one who was actually hired for her “dream role”. As soon as she finds out, she starts hating him because she thinks he got his job via nepotism. What she learns down the road is that things aren’t always as they seem….

The story itself was ok - very very heavy on the work stuff and internal woes so it’s more of an office story with some romance vs a romance story with some office stuff as the backdrop. if you’re here for the plot, then I’d say 3.5 / 5. If you’re here wanting a good balance, 2 stars.

I appreciate what Gilmore tried to do, but it needed to be pared down. There was a lot going on and too much telling vs showing.

This book was okay. It was a cute break from the thrillers I typically read. At times it was slow and I had to convince myself to continue. I’m glad I did because it was a quick, cute book.

Casey and Alex are each a bit broken, in different ways, but when they're shoved together in a work environment, they need to find a way to co-exist. At first, that's not all that easy, especially since newcomer Alex got the job that Casey thought she wanted. So there's reason for them not to get along from the very start, but there's something deeper that keeps drawing them together. And we get the privilege of riding along with them as they figure it all out.

While they seem to be the opposite of one another in so many ways, they are alike in many others. And the more they see themselves in the other, the closer they become.

This was a fun enemies-to-lovers story that kept a brisk pace. But I felt like there was too much effort put into creating diverse characters. While I'm sure that's suitable for a big city environment, such as this is set in, in the end, I didn't really recognize anyone who reminded me of people I know, and that was a bit of a turn-off for me.

Thank you to Claire Gilmore, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

Are you looking for a book that will make you smile and give you the feels you need with what is happening in the world? Well, Clare Gilmore has the answer to that with her latest release ‘Love Interest’.  I have to say when she was able to mention ‘The Lion King’ in a way that made me chuckle, and from then on I was 100% invested.

Clare was able to write the characters so there is something in everyone to relate to. There is talk of losing someone and showing how they were able to try and pick up the pieces and move on but how it made Casey who she is today.  I also love the diversity that Clare brought to the table.  Even between Casey and Alex, there are differences.  But the way she wrote them it adds to the story and doesn’t distract from what is going on and to me it shows how different in the world everyone is as we are not all the same.

This book is a nice solid 4 stars and it was so nice to read and see the relationship between Casey and Alex form.  If you are looking for a romance novel to read before you start to really pick up your holiday TBR I think ‘Love Interest’ is the book you need to pick up.  You will not be disappointed.

You can pick up the book wherever you get your books and if you want to stay up to date on future releases that Clare does make sure to head over to her website.

**I would like to thank NetGalley, St. Martin’s Griffen, and Clare Gilmore for the ARC copy of this book. Getting the ARC Copy did not influence my thoughts on the book as they are all my own.**

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun book. I enjoyed it a lot!

Thanks to the publisher for the eARC.
This was cute. I am finding that my taste in romance is changing and I’m still trying to figure that out. This is a workplace romance between two characters in their mid-20s I found there to be good character development, rich depth, and great friendships. I’m not sure if the romance worked for me, but it was sweet and believable. I think for readers that love these types of stories, this will be a huge hit, and I’ve already seen that looking through Goodreads and I’m so glad it’s found its readers. I’ll be recommending to those that love this type of romance, too.

Super cute read, we love a good workplace romance! 😍 I just needed a good simple romance book to read and this was perfect for me. Loved the characters and how they were written and how they interacted with each other! Definitely a cute romantic little read ❤️

A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is a debute book for this author. This is a workplace romance, one side enemy to lovers. Casey applies for a job and doesn't get it, and feels she was passed over because of Alex's connections. I found this to be a cute book. The people seemed real with real issues. I liked Casey as she was a nerd about numbers. 3.5 stars